government

To the editor:

On March 28 during Town Meeting, citizens will hear about the We The People Act, a bill filed on Beacon Hill [HD1988] with 83 sponsors and co-sponsors in the Massachusetts legislature. Four states (Vermont, California, Illinois, and New Jersey) have passed legislation calling for an Article V Congressional Convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Americans are not happy with elections flooded with money. They would like limits to contributions for candidates who are running for elections. Do we vote for the candidate with the most money or the candidate with the best qualifications? They want to reject the Citizens United ruling made by the U.S. Supreme Court. To restore government of, by and for the people, we need a Constitutional amendment to establish that only natural people are protected by constitutional rights. Money is not the same as free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.

On Saturday, March 21 from 9-11 a.m. at Bemis Hall, there will be a We the People Act HD1988 workshop when you may ask questions. Sponsors of HD1988 include Senators Jamie Eldridge of Acton and Mike Barrett of Lexington, and Representatives Cory Atkins of Concord and Thomas Stanley of Waltham.

Sincerely,

Jane Cooper

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Editor’s note: Article 44 at the Town Meeting on March 28 will ask if Lincoln residents support passage of the We the People Act. The full warrant can be found here.

To the editor:

I attended the first of eight “Commonwealth Conversations” with state senators at Newton North High School [last week] to urge quick passage of the crucial We The People Act (Mass. House Docket 1988, filed Jan. 15, 2015). The “Commonwealth Conversations” are a series of grassroots forums that our state senators are holding to hear from us. It was a moving experience.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: senators hear about We the People Act

Editor’s note: The authors are referring to Article 42 at Town Meeting on March 28. The complete Town Meeting warrant can be found here.

To the editor:

Global warming, caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels and the resulting increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is a serious threat to current and future generations in Lincoln and around the world. Already global warming is causing costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world, for example. The effects of global warming will further intensify with increased temperatures such that almost all governments in the world, including that of the United States, have agreed (through the 2009 Copenhagen Accord) that any warming above a 2º C. (3.6º F.) rise would be unsafe for human habitation. Scientists estimate that humans can emit only approximately 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and still retain a reasonable hope of not exceeding 2º C. of (additional) global warming.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: support fossil fuel divestment at Town Meeting

To the editor:

I am writing in support of Gary Taylor’s candidacy to the Planning Board. I have known Gary through a number of years, having first worked with him when I was chair of the Finance Committee in the early 1990s. He is a thoughtful and energetic individual who would bring his much-needed skills to the board. This is particularly important from the perspective of the town’s Comprehensive Plan, formulated in 2009 and worked on for a number of years by the Implementation Committee, which I also chaired. We made periodic presentations to the Planning Board but received little support other than verbal encouragement. I believe that Gary would be instrumental in revitalizing this effort, which is so very critical to the well being of Lincoln. I encourage all of our citizenry to vote for Gary.

Peter C. Sugar
Chestnut Circle, Lincoln

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

(Addendum, 3/5/14: The paragraph beginning with “Fourth, what about…” was added after this letter was published.)

(Editor’s note: Kanner references a letter to the Lincoln Journal by Margaret Olson for which the link is unavailable, but the Lincoln Squirrel published a similar letter from her on February 23.)

To the editor,

I believe the outdoor lighting issue is a bit more complex and potentially disruptive than Margaret Olson of the planning board suggested in her letter Friday, Feb. 27 to the Lincoln Journal, at the same time as I also support Lincoln as a delightfully idiosyncratic quasi-rural community and share the concern about excessive regional ambient light.

[Read more…] about Letter to the editor: questions on lighting proposals